Download Norgen`s Blood RNA Preservation and

3430 Schmon Parkway
Thorold, ON, Canada L2V 4Y6
Phone: 866-667-4362  (905) 227-8848
Fax: (905) 227-1061
Email: [email protected]
Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit
Product Insert
(for use with Norgen Blood RNA Preservative Tubes)
Product # 52600, 52700
Intended Use
Norgen’s Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit (for use with Norgen Blood RNA
Preservative Tubes) is intended for the isolation and purification of total RNA from blood that
has been preserved using Norgen's Blood RNA Preservative Tubes. Please see Norgen’s Blood
RNA Preservative Tubes Product Insert for detailed information about the use of Norgen’s Blood
RNA Preservative Tubes.
Summary
Norgen has developed a system that enables the collection, stabilization, storage, and
transportation of whole blood specimens, together with a rapid and efficient protocol for
purification of intracellular RNA. The system requires the use of Norgen’s Blood RNA
Preservative Tubes for blood collection and RNA stabilization, followed by RNA purification
using Norgen’s Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit (for use with Norgen Blood RNA
Preservative Tubes). Collection of whole blood is the first step in many molecular assays used
to study cellular RNA and gene expression. However, a major problem in such assays is the
instability of the cellular RNA profile in vitro. Studies have shown that the copy numbers of
individual mRNA species in whole blood can change more than 1000-fold during storage or
transport at room temperature, due to rapid RNA degradation and by induced expression of
certain genes after the blood is drawn. Such changes in the RNA expression profile interfere with
reliable studies of gene expression. A method that preserves the RNA expression profile is
therefore essential for accurate analysis of gene expression in human whole blood.
Performance Characteristics of Norgen’s Blood RNA Preservative Tubes
After blood has been collected into Norgen’s Blood RNA Preservative Tubes, the intracellular
RNA profile remains stable for 12 days at room temperature (18°C to 25°C), 21 days at 4°C, and
for extended periods of time at -20°C and below.
Isolation of RNA from Preserved Blood Samples
Norgen’s Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit purifies all sizes of RNA, from large mRNA and
ribosomal RNA down to microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA). The RNA is
preferentially purified from other cellular components such as proteins, without the use of phenol
or chloroform. The purified RNA is of the highest integrity, and can be used in a number of
downstream applications including real time PCR, reverse transcription PCR, Northern blotting,
RNase protection and primer extension, and expression array assays.
Specifications
Kit Specifications
Maximum Column Binding Capacity
50 g
Maximum Column Loading Volume
650 L
Size of RNA Purified
All sizes, including small RNA
(<200 nt)
Time to Complete 10 Purifications
45 minutes
Average Yield
6 – 25 g per 3 mL preserved
human blood
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Kit Components:
Component
Product # 52600
(48 preps)
Product # 52700
(96 preps)
RNA Extraction Buffer A
RNA Extraction Buffer B
Resuspension Buffer
Wash Solution
Elution Solution
Mini Spin Columns
Collection Tubes
Elution tubes (1.7 mL)
Product Insert
75 mL
75 mL
30 mL
22 mL
5 mL
48
48
48
1
2 x 75 mL
2 x 75 mL
2 x 30 mL
2 x 22 mL
2 x 5 mL
96
96
96
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Customer-Supplied Reagents and Equipment
 Norgen’s Blood RNA Preservative Tubes (please see Related Products table)
 Centrifuge (Temperature controlled) with a swinging bucket rotor capable of 6,000 RPM
 Benchtop microcentrifuge
 Vortexer
 Micropipettes with an accuracy range between 10-100 µL and 100-1000 µL
 Disposable powder-free gloves
 Sterile, nuclease-free aerosol-barrier micropipettor tips
 96 – 100% ethanol
 -mercaptoethanol
 1x PBS (Ca2+/Mg2+-free)
 50 mL Conical Tubes
Storage Conditions and Product Stability
The Blood RNA Extraction Buffer A and RNA Extraction Buffer B should be kept tightly sealed
and stored upon arrival at 4oC for up to 1 year without showing any reduction in performance. All
other kit components should be kept tightly sealed and stored at room temperature (18-25oC) for
up to 1 year without showing any reduction in performance.
General Precautions
 Follow universal precautions. Use gloves, eye protection, and other personal protective
equipment to protect from blood splatter, blood leakage and possible exposure to
bloodborne pathogens.
 Handle all biological samples and blood collection sharps safely and according to the
policies and procedures of your facility. Obtain appropriate medical attention in the event
of any exposure to biological samples, since they may transmit HIV (AIDS), viral
hepatitis, or other infectious disease.
 Dispose of unused kit reagents and human specimens according to local, provincial or
federal regulations.
 Use proper pipetting techniques and maintain the same pipetting pattern throughout the
procedure to ensure optimal and reproducible values.
 Do not substitute or mix reagents from different kit lots or from other manufacturers.
 Do not interchange reagent tube / bottle caps as this may lead to contamination and
compromise test results.
 Only use the protocol provided in this insert. Alterations to the protocol and deviations
from the times and temperatures specified may lead to erroneous results
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Quality Control
In accordance with Norgen’s ISO 9001 and ISO 13485-certified Quality Management System,
each lot of Norgen’s Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit is tested against predetermined
specifications to ensure consistent product quality.
Product Use Limitations
For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. The Preserved Blood RNA
Purification Kit is intended for purification of intracellular RNA from human whole blood (4.8 x 106
– 1.1 x 107 leukocytes/ml) for gene expression applications. It is not for the purification of
genomic DNA or viral nucleic acids from human whole blood.
Product Warranty and Satisfaction Guarantee
NORGEN BIOTEK CORPORATION guarantees the performance of all products in the manner
described in our product manual. The customer must determine the suitability of the product for
its particular use.
Safety Information
Ensure that a suitable lab coat, disposable gloves and protective goggles are worn when working
with chemicals. For more information, please consult the appropriate Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDSs). These are available as convenient PDF files online at www.norgenbiotek.com.
To avoid the risk of infection (e.g., from HIV or hepatitis B viruses) or injury when working with
biological and chemical materials, always wear a suitable lab coat, disposable gloves, and
protective goggles.
CAUTION: DO NOT add bleach or acidic solutions directly to the sample-preparation waste.
The Resuspension Buffer contains guanidine hydrochloride, and should be handled with care.
Guanidine hydrochloride forms highly reactive compounds when combined with bleach, thus care
must be taken to properly dispose of any of these solutions. If liquid containing these buffers is
spilt, clean with suitable laboratory detergent and water. If the spilt liquid contains potentially
infectious agents, clean the affected area first with laboratory detergent and water, and then with
1% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite.
The preserved blood can be disinfected using 1 volume of commercial bleach solution (5%
sodium hypochlorite) per 9 volumes of the Blood RNA Preservative solution and blood mixture.
Sample-preparation waste, such as supernatants from centrifugation steps in the RNA purification
procedure, is to be considered potentially infectious. Before disposal, the waste must be
autoclaved or incinerated to destroy any infectious material.
Working with RNA
RNases are very stable and robust enzymes that degrade RNA. Autoclaving solutions and
glassware is not always sufficient to actively remove these enzymes. The first step when
preparing to work with RNA is to create an RNase-free environment. The following precautions
are recommended as your best defense against these enzymes.
 The RNA area should be located away from microbiological work stations
 Clean, disposable gloves should be worn at all times when handling reagents, samples,
pipettes, disposable tubes, etc. It is recommended that gloves are changed frequently to
avoid contamination
 There should be designated solutions, tips, tubes, lab coats, pipettes, etc. for RNA only
 All RNA solutions should be prepared using at least 0.05% DEPC-treated autoclaved
water or molecular biology grade nuclease-free water
 Clean all surfaces with commercially available RNase decontamination solutions
 When working with purified RNA samples, ensure that they remain on ice during
downstream applications
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Procedures
All centrifugation steps are carried out in a benchtop microcentrifuge. Various speeds are
required for different steps, so please check your microcentrifuge specifications to ensure that it is
capable of the proper speeds. All centrifugation steps are performed at room temperature. The
correct rpm can be calculated using the formula:
RPM =
RCF
(1.118 x 10-5) (r)
where RCF = required gravitational acceleration (relative centrifugal force in units of g); r = radius
of the rotor in cm; and RPM = the number of revolutions per minute required to achieve the
necessary g-force.
Notes prior to use:
 All centrifugation steps are carried out in a benchtop microcentrifuge at 14,000 x g
(~ 14,000 RPM) except where noted. All centrifugation steps are performed at room
temperature.
 A variable speed centrifuge should be used for maximum kit performance. If a variable
speed centrifuge is not available a fixed speed centrifuge can be used, however reduced
yields may be observed.
 Ensure that all solutions are at room temperature prior to use.
 Prepare a working concentration of the Wash Solution by adding 50 mL of 96-100%
ethanol (provided by the user) to the supplied bottle containing the concentrated Wash
Solution. This will give a final volume of 72 mL. The label on the bottle has a box that
may be checked to indicate that the ethanol has been added.
 Add 10 μL of β-mercaptoethanol (provided by the user) to each 1 mL of Resuspension
Buffer. β -mercaptoethanol is toxic and should be dispensed in a fume hood.
 It is important to work quickly during this procedure.

IMPORTANT!
o If the preserved blood sample was less than 9 mL, make up the difference by adding
enough 1x PBS (Ca2+/Mg2+-free) to bring the total volume to 9 mL
o If the preserved blood sample was more than 9 mL, discard the difference by pipeting
enough to bring the total volume to 9 mL
o Add RNA Extraction Buffer A and RNA Extraction Buffer B in the same sequence
outlined in Step 1 below
1. Transfer the preserved blood to a 50 mL conical tube by decanting.
2. Add 1.5 mL RNA Extraction Buffer A followed by the addition of 1.5 mL RNA
Extraction Buffer B to the preserved blood to bring the volume to 12 mL.
3. Replace the cap on the tube, then vortex the tube vigorously (at maximum vortex speed)
for at least 30 seconds to ensure proper mixing.
IMPORTANT! Vortexing for less than 30 seconds may cause clogging of the spin-column
IMPORTANT! The tube MUST be held vertically during vortexing (NOT TILTED) to ensure
that the lysate travels to the top of the tube. Tilting the preserved blood mixture during
vortexing will cause inadequate mixing that will lead to poor RNA isolation
Note: Frothing of the sample after vortexing is normal
4. Incubate immediately at -20°C for 10 minutes.
5. Centrifuge the tube at 4°C at 3000 – 5000 x g (minimum 4500 rpm) on a Beckman JB-6
or equivalent swing bucket centrifuge for 30 minutes.
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6. Carefully pour off the supernatant.
IMPORTANT! Handle the tubes carefully so that you do not dislodge the RNA pellet from the
bottom of the tube.
Note: The RNA pellet is transparent and invisible.
7. Leave the tube inverted on absorbent paper for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Blot the remaining drops of liquid off the rim of the tube with a clean, absorbent paper
9. Pipette 570 µL of Resuspension Buffer into the tube, then vortex briefly to resuspend
the RNA pellet.
IMPORTANT! To prevent washing any blood residue down the inside of the tube, insert the
pipette tip into the tube and add the resuspension solution to the bottom of the tube.
10. The resuspended RNA can be kept on ice while preparing for the next steps.
11. Assemble a spin column with one of the provided collection tubes.
12. To the resuspended RNA, add 330 µL 96-100% Ethanol, then vortex briefly.
13. Pipet 450 µL of the mixture from Step 12 into the Mini Spin column then centrifuge for 1
minute.
14. Discard the flowthrough. Reassemble the spin column with its collection tube
15. Repeat Step 13 and Step 14 to completely transfer the rest of the mixture from Step 12.
16. Apply 400 µL of Wash Solution and centrifuge for 1 minute
17. Discard the flowthrough and reassemble the spin column with its collection tube.
Optional Step:
Norgen’s Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit isolates total blood RNA with minimal amounts of
genomic DNA contamination. However, an optional On-Column DNA Removal Protocol is
provided in Appendix A for maximum removal of residual DNA that may affect sensitive
downstream applications. It is recommended that Norgen’s RNase-Free DNase I Kit (Product #
25710) be used for this step. This step should be performed at this point in the protocol.
18. Repeat Step 16 and Step 17 to wash the Mini Spin Columns a second time.
19. Wash Mini Spin Column a third time by adding another 400 µL of Wash Solution and
centrifuging for 1 minute.
20. Discard the flowthrough and reassemble the Mini Spin Column with its collection tube.
21. Spin the column for 2 minutes in order to thoroughly dry the resin. Discard the collection
tube.
22. Place the column into a fresh 1.7 mL Elution tube provided with the kit.
23. Add 100 µL of Elution Solution to the column. Centrifuge for 2 minutes at 200 x g
(~2,000 RPM), followed by 1 minute at 14,000 x g (~14,000 RPM). Note the volume
eluted from the column. If the entire 100 L has not been eluted, spin the column at
14,000 x g (~14,000 RPM) for 1 additional minute.
Storage of RNA
 The purified RNA sample may be stored at –20°C for a few days. It is recommended that
samples be placed at –70°C for long term storage.
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Rapid Flow Chart Procedure
6) Transfer the resuspended
pellet into a Mini Spin Column
1) Transfer Stabilized Blood to 50
mL Conical Tube then dilute with
1.5 mL RNA Extraction Buffer
A and 1.5 mL RNA Extraction
Buffer B
Centrifuge at 14,000 x g
(~14,000 RPM), 1 min
7) Wash Three times with
400 µL Wash Solution
Centrifuge at 14,000 x g
(~14,000 RPM), 1 min
2) Vortex vigorously for at least 30 sec,
ensuring that the lysate travels to the
top of the tube. Incubate immediately
at -20°C for 10 minutes
8) Mini Spin Column Drying
Centrifuge at 14,000 x g
(~14,000 RPM), 2 min
3) Centrifuge at 4°C at 3000 – 5000 x g
(minimum 4500 rpm) for 30 minutes, and
then carefully pour off supernatant
9) Elute Blood RNA with
100 µL Elution Solution
Centrifuge at 200 x g (~2,000
RPM), 2 min
Centrifuge a 14,000 x g (~14,000
RPM), 1 min
Purified Total Blood RNA
Store at –20 °C, or –80 °C for long-term
storage
4) Resuspend RNA pellet in 570 µL
Resuspension Buffer then vortex briefly
5) Add 330 µL 96-100% Ethanol then
vortex briefly
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Appendix A
Protocol for Optional On-Column DNA Removal
Norgen’s Preserved Blood RNA Purification Kit isolates total blood RNA with minimal amounts of
genomic DNA contamination. However, an optional protocol is provided below for maximum
removal of residual DNA that may affect sensitive downstream applications. It is recommended
that Norgen’s RNase-Free DNase I Kit (Product # 25710) be used for this step.
1. For every on-column reaction to be performed, prepare a mix of 15 μL of DNase I and 100 μL
of Enzyme Incubation Buffer using Norgen’s RNase-Free DNase I Kit (Product # 25710). Mix
gently by inverting the tube a few times. DO NOT VORTEX.
Note: If using an alternative DNase I, prepare a working stock of 0.25 Kunitz unit/μL RNasefree DNase I solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A 100 μL aliquot is
required for each column to be treated.
2. Perform the Blood RNA Purification Procedure up Step 7 and reassemble the Mini Spin
Column with a new collection tube.
3. Apply 100 μL of the RNase-free DNase I solution prepared in Step 1 to the column and
centrifuge at 14, 000 x g (~14 000 RPM) for 1 minute.
Note: Ensure that the entire DNase I solution passes through the column. If needed, spin at
14, 000 x g (~14 000 RPM) for an additional minute.
4. After the centrifugation in Step 3, pipette the flowthrough that is present in the collection tube
back onto the top of the column.
Note: Ensure Step 4 is performed in order to ensure maximum DNase activity and to obtain
maximum yields of RNA, in particular for small RNA species.
5. Incubate the column assembly at 25 - 30°C for 15 minutes.
6. Without any further centrifugation, proceed directly to the Step 8 from the Preserved Blood
RNA Purification Procedure
Technical Assistance
NORGEN’s Technical Service Department is staffed by experienced scientists with extensive practical and
theoretical expertise in sample and assay technologies and the use of NORGEN products. If you have any
questions or experience any difficulties regarding Norgen’s Total Blood RNA Isolation Kit or NORGEN
products in general, please do not hesitate to contact us.
NORGEN customers are a valuable source of information regarding advanced or specialized uses of our
products. This information is helpful to other scientists as well as to the researchers at NORGEN. We
therefore encourage you to contact us if you have any suggestions about product performance or new
applications and techniques.
For technical assistance and more information, please contact our Technical Support Team between the
hours of 8:30 and 5:30 (Eastern Standard Time) at (905) 227-8848 or Toll Free at 1-866-667-4362. or call
one of the NORGEN local distributors (www.norgenbiotek.com) or through email at
[email protected].
3430 Schmon Parkway, Thorold, ON Canada L2V 4Y6
Phone: (905) 227-8848
Fax: (905) 227-1061
Toll Free in North America: 1-866-667-4362
©2013 Norgen Biotek Corp.
PI52600-1
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